Journal of Qualitative Research in Education

The Market Value of Knowledge and Academic Failure

2025-03-01T17:14:44+08:00

As in many countries, neoliberal policies have affected the field of education in Turkey. The competitive school ranking system and its meritocratic narratives have shaped students’ aspirations and their understanding the sources of success and failure. This study reveals the resonance of these policies on individuals. Through in-depth interviews with high-school students in Istanbul, this phenomenological qualitative study engaged with 29 students intensely. It is found that individuals aspired to reach top positions within the neoliberal system. Which corresponds to entering Anatolian High Schools in the Turkish education system. Often influenced by parents who helped to deliver the system’s messages, students themselves ignore their abilities and strive for promising positions in the market. They viewed themselves as solely responsible for their academic failures. However, this article suggests that student failure results from an educational system that encourages all students to pursue the same goals while ignoring their unique talents and predispositions.

Exploring School Principals’ Leadership Strategies to Enhance Teacher Well-Being: A Case Study of a Disadvantaged School in Türkiye

2025-08-18T00:34:22+08:00

This qualitative case study examines the leadership strategies of a primary school principal in promoting teacher well-being within a disadvantaged part of Türkiye. Employing Leithwood’s (2012) school leadership framework as a theoretical base, our study aims to uncover the leadership strategies employed by a school principal to enhance teacher well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 staff members from the case study school, including the principal, two assistant principals, and eight teachers. Data analysis provided valuable insights into the leadership strategies employed by the principal to influence teacher well-being. Findings suggest that principals play a pivotal role in fostering teacher well-being by providing clear direction, fostering professional development, creating a supportive organizational climate, and enhancing instructional practices. The study adds nuance to the global school leadership literature by underscoring the importance of effective leadership in promoting teacher well-being in disadvantaged school contexts and offers implications for practice and policy.

Exploring English For Specific (ESP) Instruction Realities: Teacher Perspectives On Challenges And Strategies

2025-09-23T15:39:24+08:00

The present study focused on the challenges, strategies and suggestions of a group of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instructors employed at a School of Foreign Languages (SFL) in Türkiye. It employed a qualitative case approach, involving semi-structured interviews with nine ESP instructors. The researchers analyzed the data through both directed and conventional content analysis coding methods. The findings revealed that the primary challenge was the limited or diverse language proficiency of the learners, which could lead to difficulties in selecting and adapting resources and burdening the instructors with hefty workloads. Students’ low motivation was another significant challenge, and the absence of pre-service and in-service training and of collaboration with field instructors further exacerbated the situation for ESP instructors. The participating instructors also noted discrepancies in teaching methodologies and assessment procedures both within their own institution and among various universities. To address these issues, they used resources such as native language, artificial intelligence, general English materials, images, videos as translanguaging strategies to support comprehension and motivation. They also believed that certain courses and organizations should be provided at both pre- and in-service levels devoted specifically to ESP teaching, and certain credentials requiring clarification (i.e., establishing standardizations for the ESP groups of learners) should be designed by the Higher Education Council (HEC).Thus, the participating instructors’ suggestions for the design and delivery of more efficient ESP classes hold implications for ESP instructors, higher education institutions, instructor educators, coursebook providers, HEC and the researchers in the field.

How Does the Aim of the Social Studies Course to Train Effective Citizens Shape the Citizenship Perception of Syrian Asylum-Seekers? A Study on Middle School Students

2025-08-18T10:55:39+08:00

This study aims to examine the role of social studies courses in shaping the citizenship perceptions of Syrian asylum-seeker students under temporary protection in Türkiye. Within the scope of the research, the impact of the social studies courses on Syrian students, especially those in disadvantaged groups, was examined. The research was conducted with a qualitative research method and phenomenology design was used. Data were collected from the participants with a semi-structured interview form and these data were analyzed by content analysis. The study group consisted of 40 Syrian asylum-seeker students. The findings of the study show that Syrian students see the social studies course as an important tool in terms of adapting to the society, recognizing their rights and becoming effective citizens; they gain awareness about the functioning of the society, the structure of the state, individual rights and responsibilities, and feel themselves as a part of the Turkish society through the course. The results of the research show that the social studies course undertakes an inclusive and transformative function not only for Turkish citizen students but also for asylum-seeking students. In this respect, it is emphasized that social studies education should be evaluated as a tool to support social.

Opinions of Students, Parents and Classroom Teachers on Implementing a Science Course with Activities Based on Multiple Intelligences Theory

2025-03-13T16:20:04+08:00

This research aims to evaluate the opinions of the students participating in the application, their parents and the classroom teacher about the application process related to the teaching process carried out with the activities within the scope of multiple intelligences theory applications based on daily life problem-solving skills in the primary school fourth-grade science course, which was carried out with the phenomenology model, one of the qualitative research models. The research participants comprised 23 students attending the fourth grade in a public primary school in Istanbul in the 2022-2023 academic year, their parents, and the classroom teacher. Within the scope of the research, a six-week implementation process was carried out with the students in the classroom environment, and the researcher prepared the lesson plans within the scope of the "Our Food" unit. After the implementation, the data were collected through a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher. The research data were analysed using content analysis. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained in the research, it was concluded that the implementation process positively contributed to the students' course achievement, attitudes towards the course and the development of daily life problem-solving skills. In this context, activities based on the theory of multiple intelligences as an effective teaching method for students' cognitive, affective and skill development at the primary school level and in the context of science courses are recommended in line with the research results.

Conditional Optimism and Contextual Factors in Academic Staff Adoption of AR/VR for Student Assessment

2025-07-04T11:45:31+08:00

The integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies is rapidly transforming educational environments, yet their application in student assessment remains underexplored, particularly within higher education. This study investigates the intentions and determinants influencing academic staff’s adoption of AR and VR for student assessment in Turkish universities, drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and supplementary technology acceptance frameworks. Employing a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 academic staff members representing diverse disciplines and levels of experience. Thematic analysis revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are foundational predictors of adoption intention; however, their influence is substantially mediated by contextual factors such as institutional readiness, innovation climate, and a newly identified construct conditional optimism. Findings highlight the necessity of robust infrastructure, targeted professional development, and supportive organizational culture for successful AR/VR integration. The study proposes theoretical and practical insights for policymakers, institutional leaders, and technology developers. This research advances understanding of technology adoption in educational assessment and provides a roadmap for future studies and implementation strategies.

Examining the Views of Instructors on Micro Teaching Technique

2025-05-30T11:54:49+08:00

The purpose of this qualitative research is to examine the views of the instructors on the micro teaching technique. Content analysis was conducted in the analysis. Criterion sampling was used for the study participants in the sample. Instructors teaching micro teaching, special teaching methods or teaching principles and methods courses were determined as the criterion. As a result, the instructors expressed their views on the contribution of the micro teaching technique to the professional development of teacher candidates, such as applying different teaching techniques, principles, methods, recognizing deficiencies, self-assessment, self-confidence, gaining experience, providing preparation for the teaching profession and the opportunity to get to know the classroom environment. According to instructors, the micro teaching technique provides critical thinking skills, improves cooperation skills and problem solving skills in relation to the effect of the micro teaching technique on the solution of the problems that the teacher candidates may encounter in their professional lives.

Identification and Elimination of Misconceptions in Human Rights and Democratic Citizenship Education

2025-04-17T19:36:09+08:00

The aim of this study is to determine the misconceptions that may arise in the training of prospective primary school student teachers regarding Human Rights and Democratic Citizenship Education (HRDCE) and consider how activities that eliminate such misconceptions could be created and applied. This study utilizes a form of action research which was conducted on 31 pre-service primary class teachers. Data was collected through concept definition forms, student diaries, focus group interviews, and activity sheets. The collected data was then analyzed using content analysis. It was concluded from the results obtained from the research findings that most of the students had misconceptions about the basic concepts, but that the activities applied eliminated the misconceptions and improved the learning and teaching process. As it was determined that students were positive about the expressed positive opinions and found the applications efficient, it is recommended that such concept teaching techniques be utilized in the lessons and that lesson plans be prepared following an application-oriented system.

Transformation of School Leadership in the AI Era: Requisite Leadership Roles of Teachers

2025-08-07T15:37:36+08:00

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to investigate the transformation of leadership roles of school principals in line with teacher views. Semi-structured interviews have been carried out with teachers from different school levels, and the data have been analysed through content and descriptive methods. The findings have been collected under three main themes: (1) Changing roles and competencies of school principals in the AI era; (2) Reflection of leadership roles to school management processes in the AI era; (3) Barriers against the effective use of artificial intelligence by school principals. The participants have expressed that school principals should lead not only executive functions but also digital transformation processes, provide necessary guidance to teachers and make decisions with higher ethical sensitivity. However, the technology incompetence and resistance to change of school principals, along with problems related to infrastructure are the main obstacles within the transformation process. This study proposes that school principals should be given such trainings as systematic artificial intelligence literacy and digital leadership; the technological infrastructure of schools should be reinforced; and such emotional intelligence-based support programs aimed to transform the attitudes of school principals against the transition should be developed.